Friday, May 3, 2019

TIM GOOD MORNING, I’M TIM WISE, SENIOR ADULT MINISTER AND SANCTUARY CHOIR DIRECTOR AT CENTRAL. Your faith and your obedience to God could influence an entire nation. If you are put to the test between choosing what is right and what is popular, how will you choose? What if your response could affect your job, your reputation or even your life? The answer to this question is important and the perfect biblical example is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the third chapter of Daniel. The Babylonian king built a statue of himself and commanded the nation to bow to it. This caused a serious dilemma for these young Jewish men because they knew the commandment to not worship idols or false gods. The king gave them a choice to bow or be killed. What was their response? “Our God is so powerful that He can save us…but even if He does not, we will not bow to your idol.” These young men chose to claim their faith over their lives. What courage that must have took! As you read on in Daniel, you know that their actions caused an entire nation to become believers in God. So, when faced with the choice of what’s popular and what’s right, how will you choose? May you find the courage and strength to choose what’s right, even if it means risking your life.